Tuesday, May 12, 2009

If in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society

690913SB.LON Lectures Prabhupada: Cheese also. Cheese is milk preparation. You can eat. And offer it to Krsna, that "Krsna, these things are supplied by You. Kindly You taste it, then I'll take." You can do that everywhere. Krsna is everywhere. At least we should acknowledge that everything is sent by Krsna, or God. That is a fact. Krsna's laws or nature's law is so nice that a cow is eating grass and producing milk. Now, if you think that grass is the cause of milk, then you are mistaken. It is the laws of Krsna that transforms grass into milk. If you eat..., you eat grass, then you'll die. But the cow, she is eating grass... That also not supplied by your factory. The grass is produced by nature's way. And she is eating that grass and supplying the most nutritious food--milk--and in exchange you are cutting throat. How you can be happy? Such an innocent animal. She is eating grass supplied by God, and instead of grass, if you think that "She is eating grass from the land, American land or my land. She must give me something," she's supplying milk. What reason there is?So if we human beings, if we forget even ordinary mercy, compassion and gratefulness, then what is that human life? And then from national point of view... National means one who is born in this land. The cow is also born in this land. So why the man should be given protection, not the cow? But according to Vedic civilization you see. You have read in Srimad-Bhagavatam, I explained. Oh, one man was going to kill one cow. Immediately Maharaja Pariksit took his sword, "Oh, you are trying to kill cow in my kingdom? I shall immediately kill you." The special protection, brahmanas and cow. You know, we offer Krsna obeisances, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca: "Krsna, You are the leader of brahminical civilization." The purest civilization. Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. "You are the well-wisher of cows and the brahmanas." Why special stress is given to the words go and brahmana, cows and brahmanas? Then he said, jagad-dhitaya. "After being, first being well-wisher to the cows and brahmanas, then You are well-wisher of this general world." Jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah. This is the prayer, namo brahmanya-devaya. So why this specific stress has been given to the cows and brahmanas? Just see Krsna's picture, how He's loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea. Because the brahmanas, they will give you good information of spiritual life, and cows will give you the best food you can have within this material world. That is the real interpretation of go-brahmana-hitaya ca. If you have simply a cow and... The great sages, just see. A child born, it lives simply on cow's milk. First of all, mother's milk. Milk for six months. Then when it is a little grown up, you simply give her sufficient milk, oh, she'll be very stout and strong. Then supply it little grains, fruits. That's all. So we have got many foodstuff in the vegetarian kingdom, and Krsna asks you that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: "Anyone who is offering Me..." This is universal. Patram means a leaf. Just like a leaf. Puspam, a flower. And patram puspam phalam. Phalam means a fruit. And toyam means water. So any poor man can offer Krsna. There is no need of, I mean to say, luxuriant foodstuff, but it is meant for the poorest man. The poorest of the poor men can secure these four things--a little leaf, a little flower, a little fruit, and little water. Any part of the world. Therefore He is prescribing, patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me with love and devotion..." Tad aham bhakty-upahrtam. "Because it is brought to Me with love and devotion," asn ami, "I eat." Krsna is not hungry, neither He is poor. But the main thing is bhaktya, devotion and love. So whatever you offer Krsna with devotion and love within this group as prescribed by Him, Krsna accepts it. So you can offer anywhere. It does not matter that you have to offer in temple. Krsna is everywhere. So you offer and eat that. This cauliflower is also flower. This is also flower. (chuckles) And potato is fruit. Fruit, flower. Yes.